


unhappy endings

by gortysproject



Category: Borderlands
Genre: Alternate Universe - Angel Lives, Alternate Universe - Nisha Lives, Gen, literally based on a dream i had, sorry it's kinda short
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-10
Updated: 2016-06-10
Packaged: 2018-07-14 05:59:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7156403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gortysproject/pseuds/gortysproject
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hyperion made sinners. Lilith wants Judgement Day.</p>
            </blockquote>





	unhappy endings

**Author's Note:**

> I literally had a dream about something similar to this and thought it was a great drabble prompt, so here you go. Judging by Lilith's reaction to Athena in TPS, I'm guessing she wouldn't exactly be benevolent with other Hyperion affiliates.

Rhys doesn’t remember how long he’s been in the cell, but a deadly silence has encompassed all its inhabitants as they await their inevitable judgement. His eyes continuously dart between the door to the darkened room and each his quiet companions, trying to decide whether escape is an option at all. Despite being the man with a knack for plans, he doesn’t have much inspiration.

Vaughn sits at his side, equally quiet, knee bouncing repetitively. Rhys wants to reach out and rest a hand on it to calm his friend but he doubts it would do much at all; the press of shoulder to shoulder is the only comfort he offers for now. 

Opposite them, a man with Jack’s entire physical appearance sits on the bench, his lips twisted nervously. It’s clear he’s deep in thought. Somehow, it makes him look completely different to Jack. That, and the lack of a mask — in its stead, a scar curves over the bridge of his nose, crossing through his left eye. The one time the man’s gaze flickered up to meet Rhys’, he saw the scar left his eye a clouded white. In that moment, the fear in the stranger’s expression was painstakingly obvious.

A girl sits beside him, her head resting on his shoulder as she sleeps. From the tattoos trailing down her arm, Rhys guesses she’s a siren. He feels as though he recognises her face, but he can’t tell for sure — too much of it is obscured by a sweeping dark fringe.

Rhys tries not to look at the other member of this strange group, and as she’s tucked into the corner, it’s not difficult. Shadows fall over her figure, seeming to embrace darkness as if it is a part of herself, and a wide-brim hat sits atop her head. Other than that, she is completely concealed in the depths of the dimly-lit box they sit inside.

Minutes or hours may have passed before Jack’s clone breaks the silence. “Not to be — rude, or anything,” he starts hesitantly, and Rhys’ head snaps up at the sudden sound of Jack’s voice before he realises, “but you guys seem too… _middle management_ to be here. What’s your crime?”

There’s a huff of laughter from the mass of shadows encompassing the lady. “Jack’s got a point,” she murmurs, her voice sultry. Rhys is instantly afraid — well, _more_ afraid. “Lilith ain’t puttin’ the whole corporation up for execution.”

“We can’t all be Athena,” Jack responds, and all four of them seem to crack a smile at the joke. “But, seriously. I get why we’re here —” and his hand gestures right to the lady in the corner, then left to the girl asleep on his other shoulder, “— but you two, why’re you here?”

“Um,” Rhys replies eloquently. “We’re… it’s complicated.”

“Come on, uncomplicate it. Besides, if we’re all gonna die soon, may as well… get an interesting story out of it first.” He shrugs one shoulder, the one the girl isn’t resting against. 

“So that’s it?” Vaughn asks, and all eyes are on him a moment later. “You think she’ll kill us all?”

The lady presses her lips together and squints at him, unimpressed. “Me, definitely,” she eventually replies, her lips curving wickedly as though she’s almost excited by the idea. “Him, probably,” and her gaze flickers to Jack as she says it. Her eyes dip for a moment, looking at the sleeping girl, and it maybe have been a trick of the light but her hard edges seem to soften minutely. “Her, no. And as for you two… it’d help to know what you _did_.”

“We’ve done a lot,” Rhys says quietly. “As for what pissed off Lilith, I’d say it was, uh…” He exhales. Despite how much he’d like to not admit to this, it seems unavoidable. “Plugging Handsome Jack’s AI into the Helios system.”

Silence descends on the room again for a short moment before the lady whistles lowly. Before she has a chance to reply, though, another voice cuts through the atmosphere.

“You did _what_?” asks the girl, sitting up from where she’d rested her head on the man’s shoulder. A tattooed hand comes up to push the mass of dark hair out of her eyes, and she looks _angry_ with Rhys, wide eyes narrowing, lips twisting down. Jack puts a hand on her shoulder, and she seems to deflate slightly, but her eerie gaze is still fixed on Rhys.

He combs his metal fingers through his hair. “I didn’t — I didn’t have a choice, alright?” he says, avoiding her eyes as his own gaze falls to the ground. “I’d plugged him into my head — _accidentally,_ okay — and he… took control. Of my arm. Downloaded himself onto the Helios database, and…”

“Is that why Helios crashed?” asks the lady in the corner. “Mighty upset to see it go. Hell, it might’ve looked stupid next to Elpis, but Helios was where the showers had good water pressure and you didn’t have to kill your own dinner.” She smirks. “It was a luxury I gave myself every now an’ then.”

Jack stares at her. The girl at his side doesn’t seem surprised. Rhys sighs. “Yeah, that’s why Helios crashed.”

“No offence, kiddo, but why’re you on trial for doin’ Lilith a favour?”

“Lilith won’t believe it was an accident,” says the siren. “That sounds too… perfect, for an excuse.” She seems upset. Rhys can’t blame her. “She doesn’t get it — how he takes over, _took_ over.”

It dawns on him, finally, where he recognises the frail girl’s face from: a child, beaming up at him from a photo frame on Jack’s desk. Despite the dissimilarities between that bright-eyed kid and the pale, haunted woman he sees now, he knows they’re the same person. “You’re Angel,” he says, and Vaughn glances up at him in confusion.

The same confusion is mirrored in Angel’s expression. Rhys hadn’t asked a question, but still she replies, “I… yes.” Eyebrows drawing together, she asks, “Did _Jack_ tell you about me?”

The Jack at her side seems equally confused, and Rhys glances at him as he rubs his neck with the back of his hand. “Yeah,” he mumbles. “Your, uh, your picture was on his desk. Mentioned that he didn’t normally tell people about you, but… he wanted to come by and visit.” He pauses. “You were a lot younger in the picture.”

She chuckles halfheartedly. “Yeah, he wasn’t exactly the kind to… compile a family album.”

“Am I missing something?” Vaughn asks, frown deepening.

“Angel is Jack’s kid,” says Jack.

“And you’re some kind of body double — _or_ another secret relative,” jokes Rhys, but nobody laughs. 

Jack sighs. “First one.”

“Right.” Rhys looks to the lady in the corner. “So you’re…?”

“Sheriff of Lynchwood, honey. But you can call me Nisha, since you seem sweet enough.” Rhys recognises the Lynchwood name, thinks distantly that he might have heard about Jack having a girlfriend. Apparently, Vaughn thinks the same.

“So you’re Jack’s girlfriend, Jack’s daughter, Jack, and… well, Rhys, you _were_ Jack for a bit,” he says, listing everyone’s crimes off. “Honestly? I feel kinda mediocre.”

Nisha moves out of the shadows completely, cocking her head to the side as the light falls accross her ripped clothes and smooth skin. “Yeah? What’re you in here for, then?”

Vaughn slumps. “Being the sidekick to the guy who accidentally helped Jack out, I guess. Saving the Helios employees when they landed on Pandora. We’re not like you, we’re… hell, we probably spent the last few months being enemies of Hyperion _more_ than enemies of Pandora. I stole ten million dollars from them. Rhys _crashed Helios_.” Vaughn’s gaze lifts to Rhys. “You think if we tell them we betrayed Hyperion, they’ll let us go?”

“No,” says Angel unhappily, though the question wasn’t aimed at her. “Sanctuary knows — _Lilith_ knows what I’ve done for them. I’m still here.”

Vaughn looks like he’s about to reply, but they’re interrupted by a guard rapping on the door. “Here for Timothy Lawrence,” she says, and Rhys frowns.

Jack gets up. Of course, his real name wasn’t _Jack_. The fear has returned to the body double’s features, recent conversation distracting him but now he trembles where he stands. With a steadying breath, he swallows, and goes to the door.

His hand is caught by Angel, and she turns him around to wrap arms around his neck. The hug is sudden, but Jack reciprocates after a moment, wrapping strong arms round a thin waist and pressing his scarred face into her shoulder. Rhys looks away. He feels as though he’s invading their privacy by being here at all.

The guard barks an order, and Jack pulls away from Angel. “I’ll see you soon, okay,” he tells her, but it’s unclear which of them he’s trying to convince with the statement. Angel nods, and sits down again, and Timothy Lawrence turns to leave.

The room falls quiet once more, each person contemplating their own fate. This time, Rhys does rest his hand on Vaughn’s knee, a comfort to them both. His stomach is twisting into knots.

The abrupt sound of bullets being fired shatters the silence, all of them — even Nisha — jerking with surprise at the distant sound. Rhys’ grip tightens on Vaughn’s knee. Vaughn mumbles, “Holy crap.” 

On the bench opposite them, Angel buries her face in her hands.


End file.
